Coal-cabsohizing and gas-enbiching appabatxts



Feb 3, 1931. E. A. DIETERLE 1,790,745

COAL CARBONIZING AND G A'S ENRICHING APPARATUS Filed Jan; 21, 1924 POWDERD COAL f GHS Fon SPR/aver? GHS TO BE ENRIQH 'ED Him gu lul-.151%

Patented Feb. 39 1931 PATENT QFFICE EDWARD A. DIETEI'LE, 0F GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS COAL-CARBGNIZING AND GAS-ENRICHING v.APPARATUS Application led January 21, 1924.' Serial No. 887,408.

My invention relates to apparatus for and process of low and high temperature distillation, complete gasiication and the enrichment of water gas; the invention having for its object the provision of apparatus for processing coal which has been previously comminuted to the desired mesh and is introduced into the apparatus in the form of a spray, in conjunction with the gas whichvis to be enriched when the apparatus is used as a gas enricher; the apparatus being also designed to be used for straight gas making.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which will permit the removal of the precipitate or finely divided particles of coke without interfering with the operation of the apparatus,v thus enabling continuous operation of the apparatus.

The objects and advantages of my invention will be more fully comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a partial vertical sectional view and side elevation of my improved apparatus, with intermediate portions shown broken away.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l looking in the direction-of the arrows.

The invention, as exemplified in the drawing, comprises a lsuitable metallic shell or casing 10, preferably in the form of a cylinder of suitable diameter and length having at, diferent levels and disposed in o posite t upper and lower converging ends 11 and 12;

'the casing being of suitable metal adapted to withstand the temperatures and corrosive action-of the gases, as for example calite or calorized metal. The casing or shell 10, is

' preferably provided exteriorly with suitable 40 insulating material as at 13 to prevent excessive loss of heat by radiation.-

The shell interior, at points adjacent to the converging ends, is shown rovided with metallic plates as at 14, 14 whic extendv completely across the casing 10 to conne the com-` bustion gases between the plates, to receive the ends of suitable tubes 15 which extend vertically from the plate 14 at the upper end of the casing to the plate or tube sheet 14 adjacent the lower end of the casing; the tubes being suitably secured in the tube-sheets in any well known manner. The tubes are preferably arranged in a circumferential manner about the longitudinal axis of the casing and in slight spaced relation, as more clearly shown in Figure 2, to provide intervening spaces for the passage of the heating gases or products of combustion which enter the casing from the combustion chamber 16 arranged adjacent the lower end of the casing. The combustion chamber 16, by preference,- is shown provided with checker brick-work of suitable refractory material and'provided with a burner 17 intended to` be connected with a suitable source of gas or oil supply, whose flow to the burner may be controlled by a suitable valve as at 18. The combustionl chamber is also preferably provided with a small opening or openings disposed about the burner in order to aid combustion. y

The products of combustion, will pass vabout the lower ends of the respective tubesl 15 and intermediate thereof and fiow upward through the casing towardthe stack or fiue 19 which is connected with the casing adjacent to the up er plate or tube-sheet 14. The casing or s ell 10 is preferably provided with l a plurality of baiiie'plates as at 2Ol arranged directions in the casing and interme iate of so the various tubes, so as to cause the products of combustion to have. a circuitous path i through the casing and thus vensure a complete thorough heating of the tubes before v l the products of combustion arrive at'the ollt- .'8'5 let or flue 19.

- 'The tubes, aswell as the tube-'sheetsfare ,made ,of suitable material adapted to withstand the temperature and corrosive action of the I gases encountered thereby*A and, like 00 i the shell or casing 10, are therefore preferably formed of calite or calorized metal. The upper converging end 11 of the shell or casing is shown :termed/With an extension 21 whereby a small. chamber 22 is provided in communication with the interior. of the casing and through which a Vconduit 23 passes. The inner endet the conduit 23 is provided with a suitable nozzle at 24 for they urpose of introducing the material in the erin of a spray.. rllhe conduit 23 is provided With a suitable control valve at 25 and the conduit is intended to communicate with a supply of powdered coal pnlverized to the desired mesh. The conduit 23 is also shown provided with a branch line or conduit 26 having a control valve 27; thepipe 26 being intended for the purpose of introducing a suitable medium, preferably a small quantity of the gas to be treated or enriched and which is introduced through the conduit 23 and its nozzle 2t so as to ensure a proper spreading and spraying of the pulverized coal in the upper end of the casing and therefore into the upper ends ot the dierent tubes or passages 15. The extension 21, which provides the small chamber 22 about the inner end of conduit 23, in advance of the nozzle 2li, is provided with a conduit 28 which communicates with the supply ot'gas to be enriched; the conduit 28 being also provided with a suitable valve 29 whereby to control the iniiovv ot the gas. l rlhe lower converging end l2 of the casing is provided with an outlet 30 which, by pret erence, has a slide-valve or gate 31 in advance of a hopper or chute 32 With which conduit 30 communicates. The hopper or chute 32 is intended to receive the residue material or precipitate in the nature of tinely divided particles of coke. The receptacle or hopper 32 is shown provided with a lower open end controlled by a closure or gate 33. rlhe conduit 30 is also shown provided With an outlet connection 34 Which is shown communicating with the lower end of a shell 35 which, by preference, is in the nature of an electrical precipitator of Wellknown construction, provided with an outlet 36; the bottom of the shell being shown converging at 37 and provided with a slidegate or closure 38 in advance of the point of communication with a hopper or receptacle of suitablefconstruction asindicated at 39 which also is provided with a closure member or gate so that the precipitate may.

be Withdrawn from the receptacle 39 when the member 38 is in closed position and thus prevent loss of the gases which are being made or treated.

In the operation ofthe apparatus, the products'of combustion pass from the combustion chamber 16 upward about the" various passages or tubes and after the latter have reached the desired temperature,-

interet which may he determined by means of a pyrometer arranged at a suitable point in the casingf-the material to be treated is then introduced through the spray nozzle 24. As previously stated, my improved apparatus is primarily desigyiedv for low and high temperature distillation of coal and the enrichment of blue Water gas. The coal in a finely pulverized state is sprayed into the casing by means of the nozzle 2e in conjunction With the gas to be enriched when the apparatus` is employed as a gas cnricher; it being understood, of course, that the coal may be sprayed into the apparatus With steam, air or oxygen, it desired.

l/Vhen the apparatus is employed for low temperature distillation in the enrichment of gas, the powdered coal is preferably sprayed into the distillation chamber by means of a small portion of the gas to be en riched which ovvs through pipe 26 into conduit 23 with the coal, While the main volume or portion of the gas enters through theconduit 28. l

rllhe gas and powdered coal pass down through the passage-ways or ilues 15 and ,undergo destructive distillation 4by reasonl of the intimate Contact with the comparatively lar-gebr extensive surfaces of the dues or tubes, which inducepa conversion of the poW- dered coal into gas. rllhe mixture, which is subjected to a gradually increasing temperature as it ovvs toward the bottom of the apparatus, passes down through the converged end 12 into conduit 30 and thence the gas passes out through conduit 34 into the precipitating chamber or electrical precipitator from whence it may pass by means of outlet 36 to suitable condensers, scrubbers, purifiers, etc. The residue material will drop to the bottom of the apparatus in the form of finely divided particles of coke and vvhen the slide or gate 31 is open will be deposited in the hopper or receptacle 32 from Which it may be removed from time to time by opening the closure member or gate 33. The fine coked particles and tarry matter which may be entrained with the gas into the electrical precipitator 35 may be periodically removed from the hopper or receptacle 39 into Which it has been deposited when the slide 38 is open. It will be understood, of course, that in both instances the slides or closures 31 and 38 should be closed before the slides or closures at the bottoml of the hoppers or receptacles 32 and 39 have been opened. i .y

Where the apparatus is employed for 410W temperature distillation, the coke residual obtained from the receptacles 32 and 39 may lpe priquetted and employed as a smokeless The upper end of the casing 10 is provided with an opening having a closure 40, for the purpose of enabling the apparatus and its agree-,ras

dues or passages to be cleaned when necessary.

The method of operation hereinbefore set forth. may be varied, as it-may be desirable insome instances to use a mixture ci' coal and oil 'for either gas enrichment. or straight gas making; while in other instances a. mix ture of coal and water may be desirable.

Where complete gasication is desired, the apparatus may be built of such height to provide sucie'nt time of contact ott the maj terial with the heated walls of the passages or iiues for both destructive distillation and the combination of the products and also for a combining or" the carbon residue with either steam, air, cr oxygen to form a substantially permanent gas; in which event the steam, sir, or oxygen, or combination ci two or more of said elements may be introduced or forced through conduit 28.

The residual material obtained'by the operation ot my improved apparatus constitutes an excellent material for mixing with high volatile coal e iployed in the manufacture of coke in by-product coke ovens.

ln the operationof my improved appara` tus, it may also be desirable, in conjunction with the. apparatus, to employ a recuperator to Preheat the air employed for combustion and a waste heat boiler to largely recover the sensible heat from 'the treated or produced gases as they` discharge from the apparatus.

.l have shown and described the apparatus as provided with lues through which the gases pass, but it will be understood that these passages need not necessarily be in the strict forni oi' ues, which may be heated by any suitable medium or manner; and while an electric precipitator is preferable, the produced: or treated gases may be made to pass through channels so constructed as to induce a precipitation or" the dust or coke particles entrained with theI gas; the construction shown as an exemplification of' the invention being considered a simple and efficient adaptation of the invention which has been described in terms employed merely as terms of description and not as terms of limitation, as structural modifications are possible without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. vIn an apparatus of the character de-v lengthwise of the shell with their ends se-I cured in said plates, a combustion chamber communicating with said shell intermediate' of the diaphragme-and adjacent to lower plate, a flue connected with the shell beneath the upper plate, vvherehl; the products or" combustion are caused to flow lengthwise of the shell between the lplates and about ythe tubes, a residue chamber connected with'th'e lower 'converging end of the shell, and a gas outlet in the lower'jconverafina end of the shell above the residue chamber.

2. ln apparatus of the character described, closed vessel comprising a vertically arranged shell having converging ends, plates adjacent to the converging ends and extenda ing eni'-ircly across the shell to confine the combustion lgases therebetween, tubes disposed lengthwise, wholly within said shell and connected Aat their ends in said plates for 9 plat-es, and bathes wlthin the shell intermediate of the plates and said tubes.

3. ln. an apparatus oi the character described, a closed elongated vessel provided with a pair of plates located adjacent to opposits ends of the vessel and extending entirely across the vessel to confine the combustion gases therebetween, a plurality of open-ended tubes arranged in spaced relation .lengthwise within said vessel and secured at their ends in said plates, a comminuted coal introducing nozzle at the up per end of the vessel, separate gas introducing pipes connected with the upper 'end of the vessel, gas and residue outlets at the lower end, means adjacent to one end of said tubes whereby a heating medium may be caused to pass through said vessel intermediate of said plates and about the tubes, and a flue for conveying the products of combustion from said vessel intermediate o the plates.

.4. In an apparatus of the character described, a closed elongated vertical vessel provided with plates located adjacent .to the upper and .lower ends of the vessel and extending entirely across the vessel to confine the combustion gases therebetween, a combustion chamber adjacent to the lower end of the vessel intermediate of the plates, a flue adjacent to the upper end of the vessel intermediate of the plates, a plurality of open-ended tubes arranged lengthwise of the vessel4 in spaced relation with each other and secured` at their ends in said plates, separate comminuted coal and gas introducing conduits connected with the upper end of the vessel above the upper ends of the tubes, a, residue chamber at the bottom of the vessel, al gas outlet from the lower end of the vessel below the lower ends of the tubes and above the residue chamber, and means whereby communication between the vessel and the residue chamber may be` controlled.

10 EDWARD A. DIETERLE. 

